Everlasting Bonds - COMPLETE

Chapter 23

POV: Aidan

Looking at Lark, I could see how close she was to breaking. How close she was to cutting us out of her life and running away.

Growing up Lark and I always shared a wildness that the others didn't quite understand. When they would help us sneak back in at four in the morning- our knees scraped, dirt in our fingernails, and leaves in our hair- they didn't ask questions. It was our thing. Whenever I had a bad day or Lark needed to blow off some steam, we would place an old Utah license plate on the other's bedside table. That was our signal. Then we would sneak out once everyone was sleeping and ride our bikes to our secret place. It was a small junkyard about fifteen minutes from our house. We would spend hours just talking or breaking windows of old cars, or smashing TV sets with baseball bats.

Everyone was still sitting quietly as I came back from the tunnel of my thoughts. Colt's knuckles were white and I could tell he blamed himself. Even though none of us could have prevented the complete hell that she had been through, Colt would take it the hardest. He was the oldest and therefore thought that he had the responsibility of keeping everyone safe.

But this wasn't about him right now. It was about the girl- no, woman- we all cared about trusting us with these broken parts of herself, and trying not to fall apart as she gives them away.

 

"Lark... what can we do? What do you need from us?," I asked. I watched as her eyes slowly opened and her head turned to meet my gaze. Guilt and fear and exhaustion swirled through her eyes and I knew that whatever she asked for, I would give without question.

"I need you all to understand that as much as I want things to go back to the way they were, they just can't. I'm not the same person I was. I also need you to know that by being around me, you are all in danger. I testified against one of the most powerful criminal organizations in the world, and if Gio escapes or he finds a way to manipulate people from the inside they will come after me. I can't be Lark in public and I need you to trust that I can take care of myself. If I need some space give it to me. If I have to leave at a moment's notice, don't try to make me stay. It could mean that you are putting yourselves in danger and signing my death warrant," she stated calmly.

When she was finished speaking, she looked at all of us. I think she was finally seeing us as the men we had grown to be instead of the boys she remembered.

"I ran away from Greyson that first day because I was terrified of getting too close. Of putting you in danger and bringing my f"cked up past to your doorstep. I'm still terrified of that. But... I also know that from the second I stepped into this apartment and saw you all together, I knew that I couldn't leave again," she whispered. Her voice was cracking and she closed her eyes as tears started to fall down her face.

"I love you all. When I was at my lowest points, what helped me to keep going was thinking about us. Our family. The bond we share. Even if you had forgotten me or blamed me for what happened. I knew that if I died the next day or in a month, I would die with love in my heart. A love that they would never be able to beat or f*ck out of me".

As her words registered, each one made me hold my breath. She loved us. Even if it wasn't in the same way we all loved her, she wasn't going to run away again.

I stood up slowly and walked over to her.

Sitting down next to her, I slid one arm around her back and the other under her knees. Putting her on my lap, I tried to keep my hold firm without caging her in. Lark's body curled into mine and she rested her head against my chest. As I held her, I realized how perfectly she molded into my body. I never wanted to move again.

"We love you too Emilia. Our Lark. We love you and we will respect whatever boundaries you need to put in place. Just don't leave us behind again without saying goodbye. We will always put your safety first so if you have to go, don't disappear again. Or better yet, take us with you and let us help", I said.

I felt more than heard her sigh of contentment. She relaxed further into me and nodded her head. Looking around at the guys they all looked as determined as I felt to keep her with us.I looked at the clock and saw that it was almost four in the afternoon. She was probably starving since she hadn't eaten lunch.

"Why don't we get some food now. Watch a movie and spend the rest of the day just hanging out. No heavy stuff unless you want to talk more. How does that sound?", I asked Lark. She sat up in my lap and turned to me. The heaviness starting to leave her shoulders and a small smile played at her lips.

"That sounds perfect", she said.